Lucie Evers

Not for profit marketeer

City:

Ghent

Age:

Country:

Belgium

Lucie has made her own way through her very unconventional life. From the age of fourteen she grew up either on the streets or in residential care for minors. Her family today consists of her son Ewout 19 and her foster son Jonathan 29. In addition to her two sons, she has tenants and she is very connected to her neighbourhood. Lucie has become sort of a ‘grandmother’ of her neighbourhood. With the semi-public home functions, the numerous collective and collaborative projects she embarks upon, and her amazingly open and sharing personality, one can say she actually has a huge family.
The concept of being interdependent with others and with nature is key to Lucie’s lifestyle.

“My family structure is that typical postmodern city network that doesn’t necessarily run along some bloodlines”

Growing up marginalised and in poverty, without the conventional socialisation, Lucie had to learn some behaviour that comes normal to others, like how group dynamics and social rituals work. It is very important to her in her life to understand the different aspects of poverty and to translate her choices and experiences that got herself out of poverty to others in a respectful manner.

“people want to eradicate poverty so much, that they tend to eradicate the poor, in a very unrespectful way. One can not ‘repair’ or ‘re-train’ people to a middle class norm. The poor have their right to their own culture, their own norms and choices”

Lucie has a little tool that she uses to help her make decisions in her way of consuming and living. She quickly asks herself 4 questions: What does it do for me, in terms of cost and benefits? How does it impact my closest circle, my significant others? How does it affect humanity at large/ what are the social consequences? And what does it do to earth?

Of course Lucie, as all others, has every right to pursue her happiness and search for fulfilment and enjoy the little luxuries of life. And as much as she enjoys comfort and pleasure, shopping and feasting, she does so in a way that doesn’t have too much harm.

“Do I need dresses? Of course! But do I need them in that particular consumerist way? Of course not. It is all about means to purpose”

focus:

ecology, economy, society

Level of activity:

behaviour change, small-medium actions

keywords:

activism, collaboration, consumption, education, food, outreach, sharing, upcycling